There seems to be a debate about the Buht Jolokia alias Bih Jolokia alias Naga Dorset alias Naga Norwich. Are all the above names refering to the same pepper or not? I've seen other experts say they are all different names for the same pepper and others say that they are slightly if not somewhat very different. What say the experts? And also there seems to be different methods for testing the "hotness" of the pepper, who is right? What are the methods besides SHU (Scoville Heat Units)? Is the Scoville Heat Unit the Holy Grail or just a guy on a barstool argueing with another guy on a barstool so to speak?
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Question for Pepper Experts
- Thread starter Pepper Belly
- Start date
I found this on the net.
Scoville rating Type of pepper
Scoville rating Type of pepper
- 15,000,000–16,000,000___Pure capsaicin
- 9,100,000_______________Nordihydrocapsaicin
- 2,000,000–5,300,000_____US Grade pepper spray
- 855,000–1,041,427_______Naga Jolokia
- 350,000–577,000_________Red Savina Habanero
- 100,000–350,000_________Habanero Chile
- 100,000–350,000_________Scotch Bonnet
- 100,000–200,000_________Jamaican Hot Pepper
- 50,000–100,000__________Thai,Malagueta,Chiltepin
- 30,000–50,000___________Cayenne, Ají, Tabasco
- 10,000–23,000___________Serrano Pepper
- 7,000–8,000 ____________Tabasco Sauce (Habanero)
- 5,000–10,000____________Wax Pepper
- 2,500–8,000_____________Jalapeño Pepper
- 2,500–5,000_____________Tabasco Sauce Original
- 1,500–2,500_____________Rocotillo Pepper
- 1,000–1,500_____________Poblano Pepper
- 600–800_________________Tabasco Sauce (Green Pepper)
- 500–1000________________Anaheim pepper
- 100–500_________________Pimento, Pepperoncini
- 0 No heat,______________Bell pepper
I am not what you would call an expert. Sorry! My take on it is that the scoville system is based on subjective info. In other words, scientists taste peppers and rate them as objectively as they can, which seems impossible to me. I am baseing this on something I saw on the food network, soI could be completely wrong, but I don't think that there is any scientific chemical test to measure capsaicin. I hope someone has better info than this!
Also, there is a lot of ambiguity in seeds and plants anyways. You have to assume that some cross pollination is possible in bought seeds or plants. Even in strict greenhouse conditions anything is possible. My naga might be hotter than yours, etc. Same for harvested seeds. In the end I am not sure it matters. It would be cool to know for sure that you have "the hottest pepper on earth" but I have also heard that harsher conditions create hotter peppers too. One little hab sprout in mexico that barely survived might produce one shriveled stunted fruit that is the hottest %^@^* on the planet.
Also, there is a lot of ambiguity in seeds and plants anyways. You have to assume that some cross pollination is possible in bought seeds or plants. Even in strict greenhouse conditions anything is possible. My naga might be hotter than yours, etc. Same for harvested seeds. In the end I am not sure it matters. It would be cool to know for sure that you have "the hottest pepper on earth" but I have also heard that harsher conditions create hotter peppers too. One little hab sprout in mexico that barely survived might produce one shriveled stunted fruit that is the hottest %^@^* on the planet.
Pepper Belly said:
I asked the same question, and the general consensus was that the Bhut Jolokia and Bih Jolokia are the same pepper. It's the one that's been tested against the Red Savina by the folks at the Chile Pepper Institute. The Naga Morich and the Dorset Naga are probably the same pepper, but they are different than the Bhut. I don't think any tests have been done to see which is the hotter of the two. They're both hotter than hell, though, and at that level I don't see how a few hundred scovilles one way or the other makes much difference.
Have I hopelessly confuzzled you?
I found this on Wikipedia.
willard3 said:
And what is this site???
But in all seriousness, Wiki is edited by anyone who thinks they know better, and is for the most part a good site.....As this site is also. If I post something stupid, Pam can't wait to correct me!(ha ha)
But as I said before, when peppers are that hot, I bet growing conditions, not sub-species, would make one hotter than the other.
cheezydemon said:
Well what caught my attention is this:
From what I've read, I share Pam's opinion... Bhut Jolokia and Naga Morich may come close if not almost identical, maybe they are just different strains of the same "mother variety" - might I add that seeds going by the same name from different sources could very likely be just as different as Bhut Jolokia and Naga Morich...
So to me, it would make the most sense if people described their version of this popular pepper by making photos and describing taste as adequate as possible - then it would be easier for us all to select the strain we want to use for future use...
So to me, it would make the most sense if people described their version of this popular pepper by making photos and describing taste as adequate as possible - then it would be easier for us all to select the strain we want to use for future use...
Donnie - Pam actually said that "The Naga Morich and the Dorset Naga are probably the same pepper, but they are different than the Bhut". this is a view I have seen repeated here and on other locations on the 'net though where everyone is getting their information could be from the same spot. unless the Bhut Jolokia, Bih Jolokia, Dorset Naga and Naga Morich are all grown in the same location under the same conditions and compared genetically via DNA test) and via HPLC no-one will ever truly know. I think we are all agreed that the Naga Jolokia is a separate pepper - this was the one that originally broke through the extreme mega-hot barrier only a few years back, which led to the 'discovery' of the Bhuts etc.
what if we did find out which is hottest etc? does anyone talk about the Red Savina anymore? a pepper which most people wouldn't even think about eating 18 mths ago is now treated as second class. for me, a lot of this is just pub talk. yeah sure I have Bhut seed and Naga M seed and some Dorset seed but this will be the last time I try to grow all three - I'll pick my favourite and discard the others next time around.
if it seems like I am rambling now and off-topic then I apologise, I'm doped up on Rx medicines and tucked up in bed with bronchitis and I feel like I've been on an endorphin rush for the last 5 days, punctuated sporadically with coughing fits and the occasional sleep.
what if we did find out which is hottest etc? does anyone talk about the Red Savina anymore? a pepper which most people wouldn't even think about eating 18 mths ago is now treated as second class. for me, a lot of this is just pub talk. yeah sure I have Bhut seed and Naga M seed and some Dorset seed but this will be the last time I try to grow all three - I'll pick my favourite and discard the others next time around.
if it seems like I am rambling now and off-topic then I apologise, I'm doped up on Rx medicines and tucked up in bed with bronchitis and I feel like I've been on an endorphin rush for the last 5 days, punctuated sporadically with coughing fits and the occasional sleep.
IMO this is one of the most confusing strains of chiles. because they mix the names together - naga jolokia,bhut jolokia,bhut morich,dorest morich, naga morich, etc...
as for naga jolokias & bhut jolokias, I'm not a expert but I'm growing both of them & both are NOT the same chile!! they're totally different chiles.
chilemans site has info about the naga jolokia & it says its not the hottest chile of this so called strain, I'm waiting to test my couple pods that'll be ripe soon but the 1st ones were not even hot IMO but some say 1st pods are mellow (so we'll see for the next batch)
as for the bhut jolokia ? no comment yet.
I know location & care depends on the heat level but still a hotter strain of chile will normally be hotter in any conditions.
as for Wikipedia, yes anyone can give info but if you take a look at the site you will find out alot of the information given is true! so just dont go slamming the site just because anoyone can give information about something, remember if its not true it would get changed or deleted soon.
as for naga jolokias & bhut jolokias, I'm not a expert but I'm growing both of them & both are NOT the same chile!! they're totally different chiles.
chilemans site has info about the naga jolokia & it says its not the hottest chile of this so called strain, I'm waiting to test my couple pods that'll be ripe soon but the 1st ones were not even hot IMO but some say 1st pods are mellow (so we'll see for the next batch)
as for the bhut jolokia ? no comment yet.
I know location & care depends on the heat level but still a hotter strain of chile will normally be hotter in any conditions.
as for Wikipedia, yes anyone can give info but if you take a look at the site you will find out alot of the information given is true! so just dont go slamming the site just because anoyone can give information about something, remember if its not true it would get changed or deleted soon.
Its all academic anyway - the Jolokias dont really grow, they get to 6" high & stop ...nothing, nada, zilch for months. Its someones idea of a sick joke. I'm not obsessing Im not obsessing Im not obsessing Im not obsessing Im not obsessing
you're so used to growing dwarfs you can't grown anything else. hahaha!
I've got an idea for a great cross - I'll send you a pm with my idea.
I've got an idea for a great cross - I'll send you a pm with my idea.
This pretty much sums it up. http://www.fiery-foods.com/dave/sagajolokia.asp
"We fully agree that these are of the same species and type which might have migrated to other nearby states and countries including Bangladesh and Srilanka where this chilli continued to be known as Naga Mircha ("Naga Moresh''). The original seeds of Dorset Naga were sourced from Bangladeshi community of Britain who might have taken the fruits of this chilli from Bangladesh for culinary purposes."
In their home country, Bhut Jolokia and Bih Jolokia are also spelled Bhwt Jolokiya and Bih Jolkiya respectively.
There seem to slight differences between various flavors of this pepper, though. While the Assamese growers (Bih Jolokia) as well as the Chile Pepper Institute (Bhut Jolokia) report two flowers per node for their respective plants, we found clusters of up to five on the Naga Morich test plants we grew in our Pepperworld greenhouse from original "Chileman" seeds.
"We fully agree that these are of the same species and type which might have migrated to other nearby states and countries including Bangladesh and Srilanka where this chilli continued to be known as Naga Mircha ("Naga Moresh''). The original seeds of Dorset Naga were sourced from Bangladeshi community of Britain who might have taken the fruits of this chilli from Bangladesh for culinary purposes."
In their home country, Bhut Jolokia and Bih Jolokia are also spelled Bhwt Jolokiya and Bih Jolkiya respectively.
There seem to slight differences between various flavors of this pepper, though. While the Assamese growers (Bih Jolokia) as well as the Chile Pepper Institute (Bhut Jolokia) report two flowers per node for their respective plants, we found clusters of up to five on the Naga Morich test plants we grew in our Pepperworld greenhouse from original "Chileman" seeds.
POTAWIE new found respect for your research ability 
So the Naga pod grows more like a southeast-asian "claw" variety??
I did read where they're actually found quite close together geographically with one of those teeny central asian mountain ranges in between the 2 varieties. The temps & rainfall were very similar but the humidity was very different. Couldn't find out about soil quality though, but a good chance the Naga was in volcanic dirt & higher humidity
So the Naga pod grows more like a southeast-asian "claw" variety??
I did read where they're actually found quite close together geographically with one of those teeny central asian mountain ranges in between the 2 varieties. The temps & rainfall were very similar but the humidity was very different. Couldn't find out about soil quality though, but a good chance the Naga was in volcanic dirt & higher humidity
i'm trying to grow Bih Jolokias - seeds are from a registered scoville tested pod. I planted 3 seeds at the begining of Feb. 2 sprouted by end of March...grown to 6" and well...wish i could say more really. Should be able to say more after 5 months down the track... Its ok im not upset
